Here is my grandpa, an accurate replica of the 1964 XM15E1.
I built this piece by piece, with a little help from all the members on the forums!
Thanks to all who helped!

mk1iii
I can build ARs but cant post pictures.
Thanks!

Looks wonderfull, tell us what it is.

You need a 20round mag.

The barrel assembly is a 1964 Colt's proofmarked
1/12 turn milled "narrow" style front sight with a Duckbill Flash hider.
The upper is a 1964 Colt's proofmarked slabside.
The stockset is a USGI A1 Original Colt's mfg.
The Bolt group is a 1965 Chrome bolt with milled retaining pin.
I replaced the "heavy" firing pin with an AR pin to be legal. The M16 carrier has been milled where the autosear guide was, to AR configuration (legality). I still need a Colt's tri-angle charging handle and a Waffle Mag.  
The Lower is a 1988 Olympic "W" series preban with Colt's parts, and BM fitted Trigger/Hammer. The buffer is an Edgewater. The grip is a 1988 SP1.
I have Colt's 20rnd mags, but like the 30rnd, GI OD mag. Gotta keep something personal about it!
I got alot of the parts on the EE, and EBay, I got the barrel from a propgun builder in CA, who built all the rifles used in the movie "We Were Soldiers Once", (Really).
I have put about 500 rnds of XM193 through it and it has not failed, It is doing between 1&2 MOA at 100yds. from a bench and GI style pod.
I like this AR alot!

Pretty.  I've been wanting to build one myself - for looks rather than real accuracy. I lack the funds right now.   Something about the thin barrel and triangle handguards...

I can't tell from the picture, does it have a raised fence around the mag catch?  Do you know what year the fence appeared?  Where did you get an upper without a forward assist?

Used A1 uppers in all three configurations (no forward and no deflector,  forward only, and forward with deflector) are on ebay quite often. Just look!

You're going to HATE what one of my friends owns:  A registered, transferrable, full auto Air Force surplus Colt AR-15, just like an M16A1 except it's such an early production example that it is marked AR-15 instead of M16.  It is all original and in better than 98 percent condition.  3 prong duckbill flash hider, triangular guard, skinny barrel, slabside upper and lower, the whole nine yards.   SWEET!
And VERY collectible!

He doesn't shoot the upper that's on it, but puts a different one on it from time to time and shoots it.  The only parts that wear are easily replaceable, so why not?

CJ

Shadowblade,
The mag fence was introduced in '65 or'66, from my research. But my Olympic does have the fence, I wish I could find and use a military Colt's lower
but I cant legally.

cmjohnson,
Your friend it a lucky man to own such a rifle!
I saw alot of the SP1 uppers on EBay over the past 4 or 5 months, I bid on one, but backed off when it got over $450.00.
I also built an A1 upper, Lockeed Martin upper, USGI 1/12, Colt "C" marled bolt carrier and CMP stamped bolt. I have aquired another preban Oly lower and am awaiting delivery next week.
The A1 has the chrome lined chamber and barrel with a forged "thick" front sight and a 3 prong FH.
It is really far superior to the XM, but not all that rare.
What makes the XM special is the barrel. Funney, it is only one of about 1700 ever made, and is the barrel that gave the M16 a bad name! Steel chamber and bores dont mix well with jungle climates and conditions!
I really did not want a large front takedown hole and pin. Too "civilian" for me!
I plan on selling off 3 other postban ASA's, a LW CAR, A2, and M4, along with all the Trijicon and Cmore optics, GG&G fold down front and rear sights, etc.
I dropped a whole bunch of money on those ARs, only to find out, that I had no use for Tactical rifles, and everyday shelf model ARs.
I will keep the two preban XM and A1 only. I guess I really enjoy owning and shooting a rifle that I built-up myself from parts I spent countless hours searching for!
They are different and I enjoy them much more!
But, there is always room for another "project"
in my workshop!
Next, I plan to build a 24" Sniper/Varmit scoped AR based on the BM Varmiteer. Preban of course!

Hey cmjohnson, do you think you might be able to get some pics of you friends rifle.  I've only seen pictures of the originals in books.  I think you are talking about the Colt model 614.  If so, I've seen a couple for sale, but never in original configuration.

slt223,

There are some pics of the XM and how it differs from the A1.
Check it out!

http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/walk/gen55/dgca/m16a1.htm

Good job bjames. That's a nice lookin' rifle you built there.

I recently finished a SP1 homebuilt upper for plinkin' with an Air Force .22 conversion kit that looks similar to yours. Mine isn't 100% correct though. It has a 60s era slabside M16 upper, no FA and no shell deflector, and a 70s era Colt 1:12 barrel with a chrome bore and chamber. The front sight tower is rough cast, not machined, and it has a A1 birdcage FS. Triangular handguards and an old style flat slip ring finish the look.

Half the fun of building my upper was trading my stuff for parts. I figure it cost me about $60 out of pocket expenses.

One of these days when I get out of CA I'm going to find a slabside SP1 lower to slap it on. But for now it's a fun .22 plinker.

Big-Bear,
Grew up in Costa Mesa..TIME to leave Dodge man!
If you are an American born citizen of the ancestory that founded this nation, then you are now an official minority in the Golden State.
The XM really did not cost me much. I spent endless hours surfing web auctions and EBay. I gave $125.00 for the barrel,flat Delta, and nut (original). 105.00 for the slabside, that has Strong Colt's proofing marks, $250.00 for the entire Bolt Group, and $22.00 to have a machine shop mill off ohe autosear guide. I bought a edgewater buffer for $65.00 at a gunshow, and still need the triangle CH, but bought a new milspec CH on EBay for $15.00. I paid $21.00 for a stockset in a dutch auction, and this morning, when I went to sand it down, the black finish turned out to be paint, and the Trapdoorless Buttstock and grip are OD! The OD grip is worth over $75.00 alone, and is wider than my A1! The stock in the pic is an SP1 I got off EE for $65.00 complete! The Oly lower in the pic is dedicated to my A1, which is more correct than the XM because the regs forced me to mill the carrier down, There are no AR Carriers prior to '64 with the milled auto sear guide, With the A1, I located an original '69 Colt's AR bolt and carrier group for $145.00!
I am awaiting shippment of my second Oly Lower from a fellow poster. That will be the loer I will use for the XM, now that I have the correct Stock set, which I've had for 3 months, and did not know it was just re-painted!
I LOVE the old AR stuff!

How much did the early duck bill flash hider cost ya ? You don't see many of those around just tons of the later 3 prong flash hiders.

tangeant,

I had to give $40.00.
Did so gladly!

Pic of Duckbill Flash Hider

http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/walk/gen55/dgca/images/M16A1/01fh.JPG